Sticks Don't Hurt As Much As Stones
by MusicalDefiance
Summary: It's been two years since Steven Stone left the Hoenn region. Despite enjoying the life of being the region's new champion, May is still riddled with stress and the constant sad and bitter feeling towards her friend's sudden leave. How is she supposed to be happy like everyone else about his return when she's still so hurt and angry, especially with everything she's been through?
1. Chapter 1

_He's coming back._

May sat at her mahogany desk, wringing her fingers through her hair and staring at the piece of paper lying in front of her. She hadn't expected the letter her assistant brought her to contain the contents that it did. Every word lay on the starch white paper, hand-written in elegant script that could only belong to one person she knew. She bit at her lip, reading the last line over and over again.

_Looking forward to seeing you again soon._

_-Steven Stone_

She sighed, her head falling with her hands being the only thing keeping it up anymore. Her elbows were pressed into the desk and her hair was now disheveled from how much she'd been running her fingers through it. He was coming back to Hoenn. After two whole years he was finally coming back home. May could hardly believe it.

The dread sitting in her stomach was truly sickening.

May stood up from her desk, taking the letter in her hand and folding it as carefully as possible, matching the creases that had formed from it sitting in the envelope. She then placed it back into the envelope and closed it, opening one of her drawers and placing it right on top of another letter inside. She hung her head as she closed it, her entire body feeling like it was being weighed down by mass amounts of lead.

"God," she breathed, standing up straight with an exhale of breath. "I need a fricking drink."

It had been a long time since May had last heard from Steven. Since he left the region a few years ago it was unheard of for anyone to hear anything about him, or from him for that matter. Even Wallace, Sootopolis' gym leader and one of Steven's best friends in the world, was left in the dark when it came to his absence. He'd told her that he'd known Steven was planning to leave for a while, but as to what he was up to, Wallace was completely clueless. He never answered any calls or messages and sending letters was impossible considering that no one knew where he was living at any given time. For a few years Steven Stone had been a complete mystery, and frankly May had grown rather bitter about his absence. The letter announcing his return was completely unexpected, and May didn't much care for it. She'd long since reached the point where she was sated with Steven being out of her life forever.

She paced around her office, keeping her eyes glued to the floor and her arms folded and pressed to her back. The room felt claustrophobic to her, despite the fact that it was actually rather large. She'd obtained it long ago when she took Steven's place as champion, as well as the Champion's Hall where challengers battled her, and a suite she could use as a bedroom should she choose to. She didn't much care for the latter as she had her own home she commuted to in Mossdeep, but it was useful whenever she was forced to spend a long day at the Pokemon League and she was too tired to endure a flight back home. Even so, everything felt like it was caving in on her and she had trouble keeping her mind calm. She felt like she was going to throw up.

"I guess I should have been prepared for this." she spoke to herself. Her voice was laced with bitterness. "He was going to come home eventually. You can only spend so much damn time looking at rocks before you get homesick, I guess." She sighed and glanced back over at her desk, eyeing the six pokeballs laying neatly on top of it. One of them caught her attention especially, the one of which she had long ago purposely placed the gem sticker on top of. Inside laid a likely sleeping Metagross, the grown version of the Beldum she'd received from Steven's leaving long ago. Absentmindedly she walked over and picked up the pokeball, holding it tenderly in her hands and stroking the line across the middle of it with her thumb. "I wonder if your old trainer would be proud to see how well you've grown up."

Just then a knock rapped on the other side of her office door and grabbed her attention. She quickly put the pokeball back down and subconsciously ran her fingers through her messy hair to make it look more presentable, all before shouting "Come in!" to whomever waited on the other side.

"Hello there!" yelled a somewhat feminine voice as they opened the door. May sighed, it was Wallace. Not the biggest of surprises considering he'd been visiting her a lot lately, or really a lot since Steven had left. The two of them had been becoming good friends in spite of the absence of their mutual one. Any visit of his was welcome, but he liked to gossip a lot, whether it be about other gym leaders or trainers that had challenged him, and that got on May's nerves at time. She may have been a girl, but she wasn't one to enjoy the stereotypical girly things that Wallace sometimes enjoyed delving into. May had more important things to worry about than what Wattson decides to do with his Saturday evenings. Regardless, she was still happy to see him. He'd get her mind off of the damned letter.

"So you will never guess who just called me a little while ago." he said cheerily.

Okay, so maybe she wouldn't be getting it off her mind.

May sighed and eyed him expectantly, "I'm just shaking in my boots to find out."

Wallace laughed and took his place on one of the black leather couches surrounding her glass coffee table in the center of the office. He leaned back and put his feet up on the table, crossing one leg over the other. She'd used to scold him for doing that since the coffee table was relatively new and she'd worked hard to have it made, but after some time it was evident that the soot-made glass was more durable to scratches than she'd have ever hoped. May stood on the opposite side, choosing to stand behind the other couch and placing her hands on the back of it for support. She waited with bated breath as Wallace adjusted himself to get comfortable.

"So, just a bit before I came here, I got a call from Steven. Steven Stone! Can you believe it? I almost thought I'd never hear from him again."

May swallowed, "Is that so?" She almost felt offended to hear that he'd gotten a call while all she got was a letter. She knew Steven had the number to her PokeNav. Sure the letter was long, but she'd have liked to actually hear his voice. Then again, she didn't know how she would have reacted, and for his sake it may have been best that she just received a letter. One that she couldn't reply to.

Wallace closed his eyes and nodded. "It is so. He said he's on his way home. He went on about how he finally felt he'd gotten his fill of traveling and wanted to come home, so he should actually be on his way back now." That wasn't surprising to May, he'd said about the same thing in his letter. "How exciting, huh? I've missed my friend for quite some time now."

May nodded slightly, "Yeah, really exciting." she replied. She knew she probably didn't sound very convincing. It was hard to sound excited about something that filled her with so much dread.

Wallace opened one eye and looked up at her, an eyebrow raised. "You feeling alright, May? You seem a little… I dunno, off? I thought you'd be really excited to hear about this."

May silently inhaled a deep breath and flashed her winning Champion smile, "Of course I'm excited. It's been a long time since we last saw him."

Wallace's expression didn't change. May was sure she'd tried to play the fake Champion smile on him before, and at this point he probably didn't fall for it nearly as easily as he used to. But rather than confront her about it, he just shook his head and let it slide. "I think it'll be great to see him again. I'm sure he's got a ton of stories to tell us about all his adventures in the other regions. He told me he's really looking forward to seeing you too. He asked a lot about how you were doing actually."

_Looking forward to seeing you again soon. _The words bit at her. She smiled as best as she could and nodded her head. "Yeah, I actually had gotten a letter from him. Just a bit before you got here actually. It was.. pretty shocking news, I guess."

He smiled, "A letter, huh? That's cool. Steven used to write a lot before they started making the PokeNavs call accessible. We used to make fun of him and call him old-fashioned; it was way easier to just send emails or text messages on those things. But he was kind of stuck in his old ways, I guess he found it to be a bit more personal. He probably had sent you that a while ago. How coincidental that it came in today."

_Coincidental and inconvenient, _May thought bitterly. She honestly wished she had known about his apparent return much sooner. She would have been able to build up a facade of excitement about it. She didn't want to ruin everyone else's happiness about Steven's return. It wasn't fair for everyone else to be miserable just because she was. No one had to experience quite the same amount of disappointment and betrayal that she felt when he had left.

Wallace sat up and leaned forward on the couch. "So I think we oughta celebrate. Maybe get a few of the gym leaders and League members to help us throw together a little return party. Your friends could come too of course. We can easily get it done tomorrow before he gets back, and I'm sure he'd be really happy to see every-"

"I really don't think I'd be super interested in doing that." May interrupted. Upon seeing the change in Wallace's expression and immediately realizing what she implied, she quickly followed up with, "I have a lot of things to do tomorrow. There's already appointments stacked up to challenge the League tomorrow. And I mean, I know they probably won't make it to me, but it'd be pretty rude if they got to the end and I wasn't there to fight them."

Wallace frowned, "You could always move them over to another day. I'm sure the trainers wouldn't mind that much."

May shook her head, "I'll tell you now, if Steven had called me and told me he cancelled my appointment when I came here because he wanted to go to a damn party, I'd have been pissed the hell off. I'm not going to do that."

"Well if we have the party here, you five could always come in and chat between your appointments. I know you don't put them back to back, you can't tell me you don't have any down time between them." May knew she was screwed at that point. He was right, between every challenger there was at least an hour or two for the League's members to relax after the often excruciating battles, and more importantly for their pokemon to be able to relax and heal up. Those gaps would be optimal time for all of them to be able to attend a small celebration going on inside the building, which surely they'd all love to attend because they love Steven. Wallace had placed her in a corner she couldn't back out of.

May bit at her bottom lip before sighing and putting on her best smile again. "In that case I suppose I can't refuse. I'm sure it'll be fun."

Wallace stood up and clapped his hands, a smile filling his features with exuberance. "That's what I wanted to hear. Be positive, this is going to be a great time. I already can't wait."

May's smile lingered but she could feel her face droop, "Neither can I."

He started walking to the door then, "I'll start making calls and letting everyone know. And you should also let me know what times your appointments are so I can decide on a good time to start the party. Don't worry about food or anything, I'll be sure to take care of all of that. I know you're busy."

"I appreciate that, thank you." she replied genuinely. Not having to deal with anything involving Steven definitely made her much happier considering the situation.

Before leaving, Wallace took a moment to look back at her as he opened the door. "May, look. I know you're still not super happy with him. It's not like I forgot about how sad you were when he left, or how angry you were for that matter." Her mouth hung slightly open as he spoke, and then she hung her head in shame. Of course he could see right through her. He continued, "But I know that he's excited to see everybody, especially you. He did what he did for his own reasons, and we should respect that. But now he's coming home and we should welcome him back with open arms. It'll be alright, okay?"

She looked up at him and nodded once, "Okay."

He smiled "Atta girl. I'll talk to you again later tonight. There'll be a little decorating needing to be done in the ballroom, so I assure you I'll stop by if you're not in a match." With that he closed the door behind him and made his trek away from the office. May took the opportunity to allow her body to plunge face forward into the couch she was holding onto.

_He's coming back. I should be happy. But I'm not happy at all._

* * *

><p>The wind was cold and fierce high up in the air, but it was hardly phasing that of Latios as he continued his flight, Steven Stone in tow. They'd only just left that morning, and Steven knew he probably wouldn't be arriving in Hoenn until the late afternoon of tomorrow. Luckily he knew that around the time evening would set in that day they'd be close to or over the Sinnoh region, so a rest from the excruciating flight was certainly possible. Steven was endlessly thankful that Latios was so open to flying him the whole way, even when he offered to transport them some other way like by boat or to get him and Skarmory to take turns. Latios was utterly persistent in wanting to go the whole way, knowing Steven wanted to make it back to Hoenn as soon as possible. His pokemon were more kind to him than he felt he deserved.<p>

"How are you doing, Latios? Do you need anything?" Steven shouted against the wind. Latios replied by shaking his head, then plunging forward at a faster speed to show his determination. Steven laughed and held tighter to his neck, "I understand. I know you're able to and all but please don't go much faster than you have been. I'd rather not go plunging straight into the ocean."

Latios squawed in confirmation and slowed his flight speed, allowing Steven to relax on his back once more. He smiled and patted his dear friend on the back of his neck. It was going to be a long flight, but he knew if anyone was going to be able to make it happen it would be Latios. He couldn't wait to be back home.

He couldn't wait to tell her about everything he'd done.


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, so maybe she lied to Wallace about her appointment times.

The day before, Wallace had asked for all the appointments the League had scheduled, that way he could plan for the party to start at a time that everyone could welcome Steven home when he arrived. The League had four appointments scheduled for the day, and May had told him they were spread out to the times of 12:00, 2:00, 5:00, and 8:00. Naturally, because Steven would be arriving sometime in the evening, Wallace planned the party to start at six and was sure to let everyone know about it. Unfortunately for him, he hadn't been able to confirm it with the Elite Four members until much later, who seemed utterly confused considering one of their appointments was at six rather than five. It was a bit too late for him to change the time so May had to suffer through his scolding for a few moments, but she simply wrote it off as that she'd forgotten and it wasn't like the trainer would be getting very far. He was a dark type trainer, Phoebe would probably sweep him before long. Regardless, Wallace still wasn't very happy with her.

It wasn't long before six o'clock rolled around and the party was surely to have begun. Whether or not Steven had arrived yet, May was unsure, but she was sure of the fact that she didn't care to be there at all. She watched as her Blaziken punched through the air, practicing for the fight that was likely to never come around. She hoped that the battles the trainer was participating in were going to be long and drug out so she could stay cooped up in her Champion's Hall as long as possible. Sure it was selfish considering the other League members were really excited about Steven returning, but she just wanted to stay away as long as she possibly could.

She glanced around the giant room she was stationed in. It sure had changed a lot in the past few years. It no longer contained the barren yet beautiful look that it held when Steven was the champion. The walls were now painted many varying colors, and shone in the sunlight like that of a mega evolution stone. It was also more lit up and a lot less intimidating, exactly how she had wanted it. The halls were supposed to represent the trainer residing inside them, and stainless walls didn't really match May, or her pokemon. She didn't hold close to a specific type like everyone else in the League, she just stuck with the pokemon she had grown with on her journey. They were her friends, all of them different, and she loved them for their unique abilities. Perhaps that was what made her and her team so unstoppable.

The floor under her feet was still perfect after all the years of abuse it had faced. It held many scratches and scrapes in its shiny surface, but that was honestly what made it perfect. Perfection was found in flaws, and what was more perfect than seeing the love filled struggles of trainers and their pokemon facing the champion. One in particular she felt deeply fond of was a scratch she had caused to be put into the floor. In her battle against Steven, she clearly had the upper hand as her mega-evolved Blaziken was easily defeating all of Steven's steel type pokemon, with her Gyarados destroying the rock types. In her last fight against his beloved Metagross, one powerful Blaze Kick from Blaziken was all it took to cause Steven's obliterated Metagross to crash and skid across the floor, leaving an unmistakable mark. That mark symbolized her victory, as well as her new place in the Pokemon League Hall of Fame. It also symbolized the hard work her pokemon put into every battle and the love she felt for each of them as they did for her. May felt lucky.

The floor also showed something else that was very flawed, May herself. She'd changed quite a lot in the past two years. She never held her hair up in her usual pigtails anymore, leaving her hair down to make herself look more professional as the region's champion. She also had gone through quite a wardrobe change, covering much more of her skin and making herself look a lot more grown up. She was only nineteen years old, but what good was it being champion if you didn't fit the part and no one took you seriously? She sighed, noticing that her jacket wasn't straight in her reflection and fumbled with it till she felt it looked right. Sometimes she wished she didn't have to care quite as much. Years of being in the limelight made her care too much about how she was presented.

A moment passed and May began to feel significantly warmer than she had a moment ago. She turned to look behind her and found her Blaziken standing close by, checking up on her. She smiled.

"Hey you, you fed up with practicing and waiting?" she asked, nuzzling his neck. Blaziken growled in response and crossed his arms, tapping his foot impatiently. May sighed, "I'm sorry, buddy. It shouldn't be much longer. I hate to have brought you out when I'm pretty sure we won't even be battling, but I kind of wanted some company. It gets lonely in here you know."

Blaziken shrugged. May felt bad about the fact that she hadn't introduced her pokemon to a battle in quite some time. It wasn't often that any trainer managed to get through the Elite Four to battle her, and she was always so busy doing events for charities in Hoenn or being part of interviews. Her pokemon hadn't experienced a real battle in quite some time, and frankly May was starting to miss it a lot herself.

_Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe that dark type trainer will get here after all, _she thought hopefully.

"Miss May, it seems the trainer battling this hour has been defeated. You're free to go for a bit." called an assistant over the intercom. May sighed, so much for that.

Blaziken groaned in annoyance as she retrieved his pokeball from her back pocket. "Trust me, buddy. I wish we were battling too." She then enlarged it and recalled him, watching almost sadly as the red beam of light sucked her good friend back into his home. "I'll get you guys a battle again soon, I promise."

She then pulled her PokeNav out of her other back pocket, praying to Arceus that a lot of time had passed. She was destroyed to find that it was only about fifteen minutes past six, and she was expected to be there as soon as the trainer's match was over. She would be attending much more of the party than she had thought. She bit at her lip nervously, imagining that Steven was already there livening up the party, and everyone would be there waiting for her to make an appearance. She'd have no excuse once all the Elite Four members got there, and then she'd be dragged into the ballroom one way or another if she stayed behind too long.

May looked down at herself on the floor again. She looked so scared and vulnerable, she thought. It was like a nightmare was unfolding in front of her. She didn't think he was going to be coming back, and now she was going to have to deal with him, surrounded by everyone else, completely unprepared to hold back the venom she felt like unleashing. The idea was terrifying.

She took a deep breath, trying to rationalize the situation in her head. There was a tough trainer that would be battling the League at eight o' clock. He probably wasn't actually that difficult at all, but if she could use an excuse to come back and "train" as soon as possible, she was gladly willing to take it. She'd just go in, grab a drink, say hello, and leave. She wouldn't have to worry about a long conversation or an accidental yelling match. She wouldn't have to worry.

_It's just a few minutes. You can do it, it's going to be fine. Just go in and get out, and you can go back to your safe haven._

She took her face in her hands and groaned, "Fine, I guess this is it." She quickly readjusted her bangs on her forehead and exhaled, pulling at her jacket one last time. _Why do I care so much about how I look? _a thought in the back of her mind persisted. She ignored it and shook her head, making her way out of the room after taking one last glance at her reflection. It was fine, everything was fine.

It was just Steven. It's not like he cared about her anyways.

* * *

><p>To say the celebration was unexpected would be an understatement. Steven was in shock as he walked in to see dozens of his old friends excitedly welcoming him back home. Wallace had called him earlier in the day asking to meet him at the Pokemon League where he had an errand to complete, under the impression that the two would reunite and maybe grab dinner to catch up. Needless to say it was certainly surprising to find many of his other friends waiting inside as well. It only helped solidify just how glad he was to be home.<p>

"I did good, huh?" asked Wallace, passing Steven a glass of champagne.

Steven laughed, "I guess so, you definitely surprised me." he replied, taking a sip of his drink. "It's nice to see everyone here. I only wish I could have dressed better for the occasion."

Wallace rolled his eyes, "It's not like I called for a formal event. And also, you're in a suit, I hardly call that under dressing. The only real disaster is your hair."

Steven laughed again and shrugged, pushing a hand through the Pidgey's nest on his head. It was normally messy but the long flight sure wasn't going to help it. "I can't help that Latios likes to show off how fast he can fly." He took a glance around the room. It had been a long time since he had been in there, likely not since he had lost his championship title. While he tried to be helpful to the League for the short amount of time he spent in Hoenn between losing his title and leaving, Steven had found himself exploring and preparing for his journey out of the region much more than he was in Ever Grande. The room wasn't very popularly used anyways, only being utilized when the League held charity events for the elite members of Hoenn or some other formal events. It was actually rather nice seeing the room looking so homey and casual, full of friends and gym leaders having a good time. It was simply a get-together, and he appreciated that.

"Steven Stone!" a voice excitedly called from behind him. He turned from his friend at the sound of the voice to find a smiling Phoebe running up to him with her hands raised in the air. Steven braced for impact as she collided into him with a welcoming hug. "It's super great to see you again!"

"Come on, Phoebe! Lay off the man, he's probably still a little woozy from being up in the air so long!" yelled a laughing voice behind her. Steven looked up to find Sidney and the other two Elite Four members walking towards them. He smiled brightly, letting go of Phoebe to greet the others.

"It's so great to see all of you again." he said happily. "I was kind of thinking I'd be met with an angry mob rather than a bunch of smiling faces considering I just disappeared on you all."

Drake smiled and shrugged. "I don't blame you, boy." He said encouragingly. "Sometimes a man needs to go out and find himself, cut off all ties so he can figure out who he truly is." He tipped the sailor's hat that he always wore, "Trust me, I've done it myself a few times." His facial features had become visibly more wrinkled and his moustache was longer and whiter. It was surprising to see how different everyone looked even after only two years. Everyone either sported different physical features or clothing. Steven began to feel like everyone had changed over time except himself.

"Naturally we were all a little worried, but we were sure you were fine and knew what you were doing. I only wish you'd have let us know about your departure. We'd all have loved to see you off." Glacia added.

To be honest, Steven had felt a little guilty about that. The only ones he had let know about him leaving were Wallace and May, and he had only told one of them in person. He'd really not wanted to cause any drama, considering if he let a lot of people know it was sure to get out to the media and cause him a few nightmares along the way. Regardless, he figured maybe a few of them would have been unhappy with him considering his sudden leave, but he was glad to find that everyone had smiling faces.

Wallace looked at the bunch with a slight show of concern, "Nice to see you're all done for a bit, but where's our lovely Champion?"

Phoebe shrugged, "Who knows? She tends to like to take her sweet time to come outside after battles, even when she doesn't participate. She didn't really seem like she was feeling very good today either. Maybe she decided to hang back."

Steven immediately felt concerned, it wasn't common for May to be sick. "Is she doing alright?"

Phoebe rolled her eyes, "I'm sure she's fine. She just gets bent out of shape sometimes when she has to make public appearances. Two years later and the poor thing's still not entirely used to being the center of attention all the time." She placed her hands on her hips and shrugged with a sigh. "I love her to death but I wish she'd come out of her office more. It'd probably help her get over the stage fright."

Steven's eyebrows furrowed. _Stage fright? Being a recluse? May?_ It didn't sound much like the spunky young brunnette he remembered from his journey. Since he had first met her, May had always been a very warm and happy person. She was always determined to do what was best and she loved being out and about and meeting new people. The girl being described to him sounded nothing like her. "How has she been?"

"She's honestly a delight, don't take our vibes as though something's wrong." Glacia replied. "May's just… she's just had a hard few years I suppose. She's been through a few incidents, and she likes to keep to herself most of the time. We don't take it personally, she's always very kind and welcoming to us. I worry sometimes, but I'd like to think she's just growing up."

"Incidents, what kind of-?"

"Ah, speak of the devil. Hey, May, how'd it go?" called Wallace.

Steven turned to where his friend was calling to see a young, skinny woman walking towards them. Her brown hair hung long and loose past her shoulders, and the outfit she donned consisted of a black jacket and pants, the only hint of color being the sapphire blue blouse she wore underneath. Looking to her eyes, he could see that it certainly was May that he was looking at, but her eyes were shyly cast to the floor. One of her arms was also grabbing the other, making her appear that much more vulnerable.

"Boring I'm sure," Sidney laughed. "That trainer got swept pretty quickly. His heart wasn't much in it when I battled him either. Too much of a lack in confidence." He shook his head, "I swear some of these kids just come here to battle on a bet from their friends or trying to impress a girl. He barely got past me, but May would have destroyed him if he had any chance of making it to her."

"I try not to underestimate any trainer. My pokemon were ready." May replied sheepishly. Even as she made it to the group she continued to keep her eyes to the floor. It was clear that she was feeling really uncomfortable.

Steven looked to her with more scrutiny, feeling confused that she hadn't said anything to him yet. It wasn't like she wouldn't have noticed him, he was clearly one of the tallest people standing in their cluster. She seemed very off, looking like she didn't feel very good at all like Phoebe had said. Her face was pale and her fingers were clutching onto her arm so tightly, like it would fall off it if she let go. "May," Steven started. May showed no reaction. "It's really great to see you again, how are you?"

She barely looked up at him, giving only a slight glance before returning her eyes to the floor. "Nice to see you too, I'm well." she replied. "I'm sorry, I don't really plan to stay here very long. I just wanted to grab a little something to drink and share my welcoming before I headed back."

"What are you talking about?" Wallace argued. "You don't have another appointment until eight, there's nothing keeping you back in the halls."

May shook her head, "Look, I have a trainer coming up this evening that actually looks pretty tough. He's got decent levels and a Milotic. I've had issues with those in the past, and I have to make sure my pokemon are prepared." She looked Steven in the eyes, hers looked bitter and lifeless. "I'm sure the former Champion understands."

He was taken aback by the statement. It felt harsh, despite the fact that it probably had no malicious intent. He hesitated, "Yes of course. Milotics are tough pokemon, but they are quite beautiful. You're sure you can't stay long?"

She nodded, "Sorry, I'd just rather not make such a special occasion a loss because I got my ass whooped. I hope you all enjoy your evening." She looked at Drake, "Please make sure you're all back before eight. You've never had a problem before so don't think I'm being ugly, I just don't want any disappointed or angry trainers beating on the receptionist's desk."

Drake saluted, "No problem. We'll definitely do our best to shake him up. Hopefully you won't even have to deal with the boy. Good luck tonight, and try to feel better. You seem a little under the weather."

She nodded once, "I'll be alright, good luck," and turned to make her way to the refreshments table by the door.

"Hey, wait." Steven called, he found himself jogging toward her as she walked away. May turned towards him, giving him her full attention for the first time since their encounter. She seemed annoyed for some reason he couldn't figure out. He shook it off, "We should try to grab dinner sometime. I'd love to catch up with you. It's been too long."

She gave him a small, disheartening smile, "I imagine I'll be busy, I usually am, but we'll see. See you later, Steven Stone." And with that she turned her head and walked off. He could see that the fingers holding onto her arm were almost white against her jacket.

Someone came up from behind him and clapped their hand against his shoulder. He turned to find Wallace standing beside him, his drink raised a bit in his hand. "Try not to get beaten down by her attitude, she's been a bit off the past few days."

"Did something happen?" Steven asked. He'd never seen May act so differently. Had two years really changed her personality that much?

Wallace shrugged, "Not to my knowledge. She got that letter that you sent her yesterday. I thought she'd have been really excited about it, I even came to talk to her after you called me, but she honestly seemed a little put down. Since then she's been acting kind of weird. I mean, I'll be honest, she's not been the most chipper these past few years. They're not wrong about the fact that she likes to hide her face from the outside world. I'm pretty sure the only times she ever leaves are when she has business somewhere in Hoenn or when she goes home. And there's a couple things I know that happened that I can't really talk about here, so maybe that attributes to some of it, but she's definitely not been herself."

Steven looked back at the refreshments table, seeing that May must have already grabbed what she needed because she was nowhere to be seen. He bit the inside of his lip, wondering what could be wrong with her. Worry felt like it flooded through his veins.

_I definitely didn't expect to come home and see this._

* * *

><p>"Damn are you serious?" May whined. Drake shook his head, now fully entering the door of the Champion's Hall. "It seems so. Sidney took him out pretty quickly, he didn't think to bring any items or anything. I hate that you came back to train for nothing."<p>

She sighed, "It can't be helped I guess. I appreciate you running by to tell me."

He smiled a little, "The party's probably still got a little juice left if you're up for it. I'm sure there's food left over, I doubt you've eaten much today."

She shook her head, "Honestly I think I'm probably going to head home. I'm just not feeling much like partying. And I guess I'm kinda bummed." She smiled and forced a laugh, "I was hoping I'd actually get a battle in here for once. I oughta beat your pokemon down a few notches so someone worthy will actually come in here to fight me."

Drake laughed, "You might need to. Well if you're headed out fly home safe. I'll see you tomorrow, at least there's only one appointment."

She threw her head back and sighed in relief, "Thank Arceus, maybe I can actually get my house clean." she said, thinking of her small but cluttered home back in Mossdeep. She'd been so busy as of late that she hadn't had much time to tidy it up, not that she cared all that much anyways. Visitors weren't entirely common, and she actually felt a bit thankful for that. "I hope you guys have a great night, tell everyone to take care."

Drake nodded and closed the door behind him. May felt her body immediately droop as soon as she was the only one left in the room. _Damn it_, she was really hoping that an intense battle would come to get her mind off of all the stress she'd been feeling. But yet again she found herself severely disappointed, and she could practically feel the disappointment emanating through her pokeballs at the loss of a challenge.

May walked over to the stairs of the Hall of Fame and sat down, her head immediately going into her arms being propped by her knees. _What a rough day_. The look on Steven's disappointed face as she dismissed herself earlier was burned in her mind. She'd honestly tried to be more pleasant, but it was incredibly difficult considering how she felt towards him. No one, even including herself, really understood just how badly he had hurt her. Trying to make light of the situation was almost impossible, and that drove her mad. She didn't want to hate him, but she also wanted nothing to do with him, which was difficult considering everyone expected her to be happy to see him. She wanted to be, but she just couldn't be.

He still looked the same. He still looked handsome. That certainly wasn't helping.

Just then a voice echoed through the hall from the intercom, "Miss May, you have a visitor coming up to see you. Is that alright?"

May raised an eyebrow and looked up, "Uh, I was about to leave. Can you tell them that it can wait till tomorrow, please? I'll be more than happy to schedule something."

A few seconds of murmuring came from the other side of the intercom before the assistant came back on, "They're requesting to see you urgently. It's apparently important."

She groaned, what could possibly be so important? "Fine I guess. But please tell them that it needs to be quick. I'm very tired and I want to go home."

A few more seconds of murmuring. "Yes ma'am, they'll be up in a minute." and the intercom clicked off.

May didn't bother standing up, rather, she clasped her hands together and played with her thumbs. Visitors were not things that she cared much for. Often they were just annoying people trying to get interviews from her for BuzzNav, in which she'd usually just give them a few words and send them on their way. Sometimes it was trainers asking for tips on how to become better at battles, and those she actually didn't mind much because they allowed her to battle and teach trainers, which she loved to do. But the latter happened much less often than the former, and trainers never claimed to need to see her urgently unless they were idiots who wanted to yell at her about "how unfair the League is" and "why they should be able to come in without eight badges," though luckily for her the receptionists usually took care of the complaints. So who was it that wanted to bother her and make her evening more of a problem than it already was?

The sound of the door opening echoed throughout the hall, but she stayed seated, not bothering to look up at whoever entered the room. "Whatever this is please make it quick. You'll have to forgive me, but I'm not interested in being here longer than I have to."

"Well that's why I figured I'd get you out of here and take you somewhere to eat, considering you don't seem very busy now." a voice laughed. May's head shot up and she felt her heart drop as she saw who the voice belonged to.

The former Champion, Steven Stone, stood before her in his former place.

* * *

><p><strong>Quick AN: <strong>**I try not to do these because I'd rather the story speak for itself, but I wanted to give a quick thank you to the people who have already gone and followed, favorited, and reviewed this story. I really appreciate it. I don't expect this story to be terribly long, but I hope you continue to find it interesting, especially as updates will dwindle in quickness. Being on break gives me a bit of time to write, haha. But alas, college calls me back next week. Regardless, thank you all so much. I hope you continue to enjoy SDHAMAS. Oh, and Happy New Year!**

**-MusicalDefiance**


	3. Chapter 3

May started to internally panic. Here she was, alone in a giant room with Steven Stone, the one man whose feelings she had toward could not be anymore negative or confusing. She had said hello earlier, given a quick exchange and all, but this was a meeting on a much more personal level. Her heart was pumping like wild and she was pretty sure she had stopped breathing the second she heard his voice echo through the hall. What exactly was she supposed to do.

_Two years later and the way you decide to talk to me again is by asking me out, how charming, _she thought bitterly. She was so glad that she didn't actually say it.

With a deep, desperate intake of air (how long had she been holding her breath?), May sat up straight while forcing her perfect Champion smile onto her face. She forced herself to look into his silvery blue eyes and tried to make her own look happy and endearing. Every bit of her kindness felt forced as she sweetly asked, "Steven, what are you doing here this late?"

Steven smiled, pleasantly and genuinely. "I was worried about you when you dashed off so quickly earlier. I know you were busy but I hadn't gotten much of a chance to talk to you. So I decided to wait until your match was over so I could actually see you, and I figured since you didn't eat anything you were probably hungry. So how's about we grab some dinner, my treat."

May bit at her bottom lip nervously. He made it so difficult to feel angry around him, an effect May was sure he probably had on almost everyone, but it wasn't like his charms were going to change how she felt about the situation. "Shouldn't you be at your party? They threw it for you." she reminded him. It was supposed to sound kind but to her it came out sounding very accusatory.

He laughed a little and shook his head, "I was really appreciative and I had a great time, but honestly once Wattson started abusing the alcohol the party's fun came to a rather screeching halt." He rolled his eyes, "I'm sure a few of them are still in there enjoying themselves, but I found myself leaving rather early. I've been waiting for you since about seven thirty."

_And I've been waiting for you for over two years. Wait what? No. Focus, May. _her mind rambled. She swallowed, "That's really sweet of you, but I'm really exhausted. It's been a long day, you know?" She tried to force a convincing laugh and failed miserably. "I was planning on just going home."

Steven frowned, "Come on now, you've got to be hungry." he said. "I won't keep you long, I promise. I'll take you anywhere you'd like."

"Steven really, I'm not feeling up for it." she said. She could feel the disappointment coming from him every second. Instinctively she grabbed her arm and squeezed it, standing up straight in the process. She couldn't find herself to look at him and just focused on the floor. "I appreciate it but I just want to go-"

"May, please! I've missed you and I understand that you're busy most of the time, so allow me to spend just a bit of your time with you. I've wanted to see you more than anyone else here." May couldn't help but look up stare at him after the statement left his mouth. He too looked surprised, like he hadn't expected the words to come out, but he quickly cleared his throat and recomposed himself as if nothing had happened. "Just a bit of your time, I promise I'll get you home safe and sound."

Emotions stirred through her and pelted her thoughts with mixed feelings. More than anything she felt angry; angry at the fact that he demanded her attention once he came back, but before that she was never able to get a hold of him, ever. The double standards were infuriating and she felt a well of anger bubbling in her chest. Just before she could say anything in response though, her stomach made a loud noise that echoed throughout the entire room.

_Damn it, why do I have to be hungry now of all times?_

Steven smirked triumphantly and laughed. "Still sure that you don't want to take me up on my offer?"

She blushed and immediately felt the desire to protest, but sighed instead with a slack in her stance. It was a losing battle. "I guess it's been made clear that I don't have much of a choice." She felt defeated.

He smiled brightly in a way that made May's heart jump unexpectedly, "Not a choice at all. I should have made that clear in the first place, I suppose." he said playfully. "Since that settles it, I believe we should be on our way now. Best fill that growling belly with something sooner than later, before it eats both of us."

May found herself feeling a small smile tugging on her lips, a real one. As awkward and angry as she felt, she did still miss the little antics the two had between them. It was impossible to deny that she missed him, that was the reason she was so angry with him after all. Despite that though, a feeling of emptiness continued to loom in her chest, and that was enough for her to remember that any extended period of time with him was not going to be entirely pleasant.

_Here goes nothing_, she thought, walking past Steven as he held the door open for her.

* * *

><p>This was a mistake.<p>

The night was supposed to be simple, just as May had hoped. But of course Steven Stone was no simple man and would not expect anything but the best for those he caters to. So of course because she mentioned that she was tired, he wasn't going to let her fly on her own. The luxury of being able to fly separately on Latias and get away from him to clear her head had been snatched from her, and she was forced to cringe against his close proximity. Not only that, but because she stupidly didn't suggest anything to eat, he decided to take her to his favorite restaurant in Lilycove, which happens to be rather fancy. Of course she protested, especially considering she wasn't dressed for the occasion, but naturally he insisted and convinced her that no one was going to care about how she was dressed anyways. She was famous, after all. That was dress enough.

_I need to stop going on dates with rich boys_, May thought bitterly, pulling her bangs out of her face as the wind blew them about. Once or twice she looked down at the ocean below her and questioned if the swift death would be worth taking compared to dealing with her stupid emotional torment. She knew of course though that if she jumped Steven and Latios would hardly allow that to be the end of her. Then the night would just become more complicated and she'd probably be taken to a hospital where they would finally diagnose her as crazy and lock her away. She thought maybe one day that would be worth the effort, but today would not be that day. Her stomach growling was enough to make her care enough to endure it.

Steven tried to talk to her throughout plenty of the flight there, but May continuously feigned that she couldn't hear what he was saying because the wind around them was far too loud. While that wasn't entirely untrue, she definitely didn't care much to try and actually communicate with him against the wind. Really she didn't care to communicate with him at all. Luckily he didn't seem annoyed and eventually just said that he would try to talk to her once they landed. Despite them being really far up, the air above the ocean still tasted salty and left a bad taste in May's mouth. At least it was much easier to focus on that than it was to focus on the fact that her tongue felt as though it was tied in knots. The anticipation of having to have full, in depth conversations with Steven was mind numbing. She hadn't been even close to prepared for it. If she had obtained notice of his arrival sooner, she would have been able to prepare herself and give him better, straightforward answers and questions. And now, feeling as bitter towards him as ever, she was hanging onto his Latios for deal life while trying her best not to awkwardly touch him, with no idea of what to say to him. How was she supposed to be civil when all the things she wanted to say were anything but? A constant confliction battled in her head between not wanting to hurt Steven's feelings and wanting to make him feel like garbage. It was confusing, and she hated every second of it.

May couldn't begin to describe the relief she felt once the lights of Lilycove's beautiful city finally came into her view. Sure she'd have to go eat with him now, but at least she wouldn't be so awkwardly close to his butt anymore. She smiled at her own stupid observation.

Steven turned and looked at her for the first time since their flight began. "Hey we're almost there. You're going to really love this restaurant. They make the best food. I always remembered you being a fan of lasagna, and you could hardly find better pasta dishes anywhere in Hoenn. Maybe even anywhere in the world." He yelled. His face was brimming with excitement.

May smiled despite herself, "Sounds great. I don't think I've had a real sit down dinner in a while."

Steven had turned around before May had even finished talking, but that was probably her own fault. She had ignored him basically the entire time, so what was he to expect, a response? But it's not like he really could have heard her anyways. If that was the case though, why did it make her feel so bad?

At last, May felt Latios finally begin to make his descent down to the city. She smiled as she watched her skin slowly be enveloped by the bright lights, and the sounds of the city echoed through her ears and brought about a joy that she hadn't felt in some time. Memories flowed through her vision as they flew closer to the buildings and people down below; memories of running frantically into the Department Store because it was something exciting and new, and winning her first Lilycove contest in a landslide. She hadn't gotten to spend much time in Lilycove during her journey because of how busy she was, and that was a shame. It was a gorgeous city with so much to offer, but considering she was so busy fighting against Team Aqua alongside Steven, she hadn't gotten to relish much in it, let alone any place she visited. It was unfortunate how fast things had happened throughout her journey, and how fast time seemed to fly away from her. It was as if she started her adventures and just a few moments later she had become the Champion, and therefor the most important person in the Hoenn region. Then past that point she had become so disconnected from her own region that she didn't know how different and beautiful it could be. What all had she missed?

Latios landed on one of the roads a bit off from the city with great force, and on instinct May jumped off his back and skidded onto the ground. Unfortunately she miscalculated her landing since she was farther on his back, and while she landed on her feet, the force of Latios hitting the ground put her on her backside almost as soon as her feet touched the ground. She groaned in pain, rubbing her head and back as she sat up on the pavement. In almost no time Steven was running to her side, his whole demeanor stricken with worry.

"Arceus, May! Are you alright?" He asked desperately. He knelt down beside her and placed his hands on her back and left knee in an attempt to help support her aching body. May immediately tensed up at the touch of his hands against her body, even though their skin wasn't touching through her jacket and jeans. Steven's face turned more worried as he felt her muscles tighten against his touch. "Are you hurt? Please tell me what I can do to help."

She shook her head, "I'm fine, I'm fine. I just didn't think that through enough. I was too far back on Latios."

His frown refused to cease. "You shouldn't act so recklessly, you could have really hurt yourself. I thought I'd lost you for a moment there." He said sincerely.

May felt her face turn scarlett as the heat ran to her cheeks and she immediately turned defensive. "Well if you had just let me fly on Latias I'd have been fine. I do that all the time on her. This is like the first time that's ever happened."

Steven shook his head, "You're a mess, May. Glad to see nothing much has changed." He stood up, holding his hand out for her to take it. She stared at it hesitantly for a moment, but took it anyways. The skin on skin contact between them felt almost unfamiliar to her, but it was familiar enough to make her feel uncomfortable. As soon as she was on her feet she took her hand back, maybe a little too quickly. She was worried Steven noticed but he seemed as oblivious as ever. "You are okay, right? Nothing broken?" He asked.

"Yes, I'm fine." May said, her voice unable to mask a hint of an annoyed tone. She looked away from his evidently hurt expression and immediately felt bad. Why exactly was it that she was being forced to suffer? All she had wanted was a simple evening where she could let him catch up with her, because she truly didn't care much about what was going on with him. It seemed like every instance between was trying to push them closer together though, which was unbelievably awkward. First the party forcing him out from all the drunken bastards, then him not letting her fly on her own, and now she had to be helped off the ground like a damsel in distress. Was fate doing this to her? If so she was not interested in its invasive advances one bit.

"I'm sorry." she heard him say.

She blinked and looked him in the eyes, "What, why? It wasn't your fault."

He rubbed the back of his neck, "I know it wasn't, but, I don't know. You seem angry, and maybe I should have let you ride up front. So I'm sorry that you were hurt, I didn't mean for that to happen."

May hesitated, staring at his sorrowful face. He seemed genuinely bothered. _What else are you sorry for? No, stop it, _she thought. She shook her head and sighed. "I'm sorry I snapped at you. Really, I'm fine. It was an accident. I'll be more careful next time." She attempted a smile. "Let's just get some food before I pass out."

He smiled, still looking worried, but at least the Steven Stone charm was coming back into his eyes. "Sounds wonderful. Allow me to lead the way. You're really going to enjoy this, I guarantee it." he assured, turning to lead the way into the city.

May shuddered, realizing that their awkward conversations were far from over for the evening. _I sure hope the food is worth it._

* * *

><p>Steven couldn't put his finger on it, but something with May didn't seem quite right. She was very hesitant and timid, answering every question he asked about her with something very straightforward or dodging it all together. Anytime he talked about his life away from home she seemed dazed and uninterested, like something else was clouding her mind. It made waiting for their dinner to arrive to the table rather agonizing. Not that he wanted an excuse to not talk to May: that was the opposite of what he wanted. But maybe getting some food in her exhausted body would liven her up a bit.<p>

He tried again, "Has being the Champion kept you pretty busy? I recall plenty of instances where I was trapped in that damn room for hours on end."

May shrugged, staring down at the fork she was playing with in her hands. "It's not always bad, but it gets really boring. I don't think I've had a decent battle in a long time."

"Oh really? I suppose I can believe that. Finding a challenger that can stand to your level sounds nearly impossible." he replied encouragingly. "It wasn't often I ever came across battles that took much strategy or skill, and most trainers give up on pursuing the Elite Four after one loss so they don't try to restrategize. But I did have one or two that gave me quite a run for my money. And naturally you stood far above me."

May's expression remained unchanged as she stayed staring at her fork, turning it over again and again. "I guess so." she said.

Steven bit at his lip, completely unsure where else to take the conversation. Nothing was getting through to her. It was like everything he said to her was going through one ear and out the other, and that was completely abnormal to him. Before he had left keeping conversation with May was simple, light, and enjoyable. Now it felt like he had to use every ounce of effort he had to get more than a few sentences from her. Had she been like this the whole time? She did seem pretty off at the party, but he figured she was just worn out from a long day. Was something else going on? Steven couldn't help but feel that something was deeply wrong, but she wasn't saying anything.

He took a deep breath and exhaled. "May, I really missed you." he attempted. He saw her eyebrow twitch but not much more. "It's really great to see you again after such a long time. You've really changed a lot. I hate to think I missed a bunch of stuff."

May started chewing on her bottom lip again, very nervously. Did he say something wrong? He was surprised to see her eyes glance up at his and then return back to her fork.

"You didn't miss much." she replied flatly. "It's just like you said, being the Champion makes you busy. I just got older, that's really all you've missed."

Steven instinctively leaned forward. "Surely there are things that went on that I missed out on. I'd love to hear about your adventures. Did you meet any interesting pokemon? Did you participate in any of the contests in Hoenn? Have you and Brendan hung out recentl-"

"What do you think?" she snapped, slamming the fork in her hand down as lightly as she could. The table shook regardless. I stared at her in shock and her eyes went wide as she realized what she'd done. "Uh, mm," she hummed. She stared down at the table, "I'm sorry about that." She apologized quietly, slinking into her chair. "No, I've had to do my job in the Pokemon League. I haven't really gotten a chance to do much else."

Steven felt surprised, "Really, nothing? I had to stay there a lot but I'm sure you're aware I left often. I was out with you plenty. How have you not been able to leave much even after all this time?"

May sighed, "It's like a spectacle to people, I swear. Nowadays people just come in and challenge the Elite Four on a whim, with no skill or strategy behind their backs. Rumors go around that I'm probably a weak trainer because I haven't really had a match in a long time, probably like a year even. It's honestly been a strain." She placed her head in her left hand with an exasperated sigh. "All these trainers challenge me, and of course I have to show up. It would be unbelievably disrespectful if I wasn't there and they managed to get through the Elite Four. It would make me really cocky, right? Like if you hadn't been there when I came to challenge you, I'd have seen you as a conceited prick, you know?" She looked at him expectantly and, having no idea what to say, he simply nodded. She continued, "To be honest I've just been bitter. I want an actual challenge. I want someone who actually has their heart in it, someone who truly wants to be the best, to try to take my title from me. Otherwise, it's going to just be day in and day out of me sitting in the Champion's Hall and watching the disappointed faces of my pokemon when they tell me I'm not going to be battling, again."

Steven frowned looking at May's defeated face. He had never really experienced the kind of treatment that she was. No one ever really questioned his strength, and though he was challenged often, it certainly wasn't every day. No wonder she was a recluse, she was never able to do anything she wanted to do anymore. Being by herself was really all she knew anymore.

_Why weren't you there for her? _a near silent voice said in the back of his mind. He winced as the guilt filled his bloodstream and entered his heart, pumping and rapidly spilling it out throughout his body. He honestly didn't quite understand why. "May, I-"

"Oh thank Arceus." May proclaimed. May's sudden smiling (and for some reason relieved) face lead Steven to look up and find a nicely dressed waitress setting down their dinner. Steven and May had actually managed to order the same thing, cheese lasagna. It wasn't hard to recall May being a fan of the cheesy dish as she often made it for the two of them when they would occasionally spend an evening together. Unfortunately though, May wasn't really the best cook, which he couldn't blame her for because she was always out in the world traveling, and when she was home her mother cooked her meals for her. With that though, her attempts at cooking often scarred Steven's tongue, but he always at least attempted to appear as if he was enjoying it; he didn't want to insult her. But of course May wasn't stupid, she knew her cooking wasn't the best. He figured in that case this restaurant would excite her a bit.

Steven watched as May stabbed the pasta with her fork and laughed at the delight on her face as it oozed mozzarella and ricotta. She rolled her eyes at me and lifted the pasta to her mouth, obviously not caring that it was still scorching hot, and placed it in her mouth. The look on her face was a mix of being admirable and hilarious. She quickly swallowed it and started to fan her now exposed tongue.

"Really good but really hot." she said pathetically. He couldn't help himself from laughing.

"I'd slow down a bit there, May. You're not even going to be able to enjoy the food if you burn away all of your taste buds."

She stuck her already exposed tongue at him and he laughed more. Food still remained as May's weakness, but in this case it felt like Steven's savior for the evening.

* * *

><p>"Not too bad, hm?" asked Steven as they walked along the sidewalk of the city. It was getting late, but Lilycove was still booming quite a bit. There must have been a contest going on in the Contest Hall down the road because the crowd outside in the streets was lively and here and there people were dressed in colorful costumes. Steven had never cared to enter the contests in Hoenn himself, but he did certainly find them to be entertaining.<p>

"Not bad at all, but I think if I keep trying I'll be able to one-up it." she said proudly. He rolled his eyes at her statement, but was happy to see that she was being herself again, at least for the time being. After they had gotten food not much more had been said between them about what was going on in their lives. Here and there they gossiped like they sometimes did, being somewhat of celebrities and knowing the other famous members of the Hoenn region, and also made playful remarks towards one another. Things were starting to feel the most normal they had been since Steven had returned, and he was unbelievably thankful for it.

The sky had turned a bit darker since they had entered the restaurant, so you could see the stars ever more slightly shining in the night sky. Steven felt a comforting urge to return home when seeing the sky, Mossdeep being very space oriented and all. Speaking of home, he remembered he still owed May a ride.

"Well, like I promised, I should take you home. You've had a long day and it's getting late." he paused. "To be honest though, I don't really know where home for you is anymore."

May suddenly froze and came to a halt. Her cheeks turned a slight rosy color and she looked to the ground, her lips pressed tightly together. Was she embarrassed?

"I decided to move to Mossdeep. You know, no particular reason." she said quietly. "It's nice, close to the Pokemon League, my commute isn't very long so my pokemon don't get tired. I just found it convenient." She was holding onto her arm as tightly as she could.

He smiled, "It is a really beautiful city. Glad to see that we share similar tastes in living arrangements." He continued to make his way down the street and May swiftly followed behind him. "Do you like it there?"

"It's cozy." she replied. "I just finally needed to be away from home. It was too far from work. And as much as I love my parents they can be a bit overbearing. Especially my dad."

Steven nodded with a hum. May's dad was a tough cookie. He'd been in the position as the Hoenn normal type gym leader for quite some time now, and the positivity in his reviews were astounding. Not only was he a tough trainer, but he was a thoughtful trainer, and he had a very high rechallenge rate as he encouraged young trainers to keep growing stronger so they could make it past his gym. Before that he had been an elite trainer from Kalos, so May honestly had always had a lot to hold up to. While her father had always been proud of her, and that was plain to see, he pushed her a lot, and that at times drove May insane. She loved him, and he certainly loved her, but Steven remembers that he at times could be too much to bear.

"I understand. Trust me, I know a thing or two about overbearing fathers." Steven replied.

May laughed lightly, "I'm sure you do, Mr. Stone."

"That's my father's name, not mine." he replied flatly.

"Is that why you came back?" she asked. "Is everything alright with your dad?"

Steven looked at her, _Why did she sound bitter?_ He shook his head, "Not really. Father attempted to communicate with me here and there, but I didn't pay it much mind. I'm sure he knows I'm home now, but I'll go see him another time. He's a bit low on my priority list right now. Not that I don't want to see him, I just have more important matters to attend to."

"What did make you come home then?" she asked. Her face looked a bit sour.

He shrugged, "I don't know. I felt like something was missing. While I was enjoying my time traveling and studying my craft, I suppose I gained a bit of homesickness, and on occasion I was rather lonely. So here I am."

"Mmm." she hummed, staring forward at the sidewalk ahead. "Well that's too bad."

"Personally I'm rather glad to be home." he replied."It feels nice to see such great friends again. I hate that I didn't keep in touch much, I was just so busy."

"We hated it too." she said quietly. It sounded like she had meant to keep it under her breath but he still managed to hear her. The guilt came back.

Steven smiled sadly, "Well, hey, you've still had people here with you, so you didn't have to miss me too much. I'd hope Wallace kept you company. Oh, and surely you and Brendan have-"

"Let's change the subject." May interrupted.

Steven felt stunned. He noticed a strange correlation. This had been the second time May's friend Brendan had been mentioned that evening, and both times May became unexpectedly off standish. He and May had been friends since May moved to Kanto, and Steven was certain they had only gotten closer by the time he had left. Hearing such animosity at his mention was out of the ordinary. What was going on?

"May, are you alright?"

"What do you mean?" she asked. Her voice was icy.

"This is the second time that you've cut me off after mentioning Brendan this evening. What's going on? Have you two had a bad fight?"

"I'd really rather not talk about it." May snapped.

Steven groaned and allowed his ever present frustration begin to take hold, "May, please. If something's bothering you I'd really like to know what it is so I can help. You've been off all evening. Just let me help you."

That was a mistake. May turned towards him hurriedly and her face was red with fury. A nerve had snapped.

"Help, yes, because you've been so much help lately. Because it was so much help whenever you left two years ago. Just like it was so much help while I've been here suffering day after day from my endless stupid non existent challenges. Just like how it was so much help that everyone just thinks I'm being anti-social so no one bothers to try and talk to me. Just like it was so much fucking help for my best hometown friend to fucking leave me almost a year ago! Yes, I can see, everyone just wants to help!" she yelled.

"May, what are-"

"Just shut up!" she practically screamed. "You don't know anything. You don't know how to help me! Brendan fucking left, okay? He's gone! Just like you were! Happy now?"

_Happy? No, not at all_. "May…"

* * *

><p><strong>Quick AN: I suppose I should apologize. This story hasn't been updated in two months, and purely that's my fault. For those unaware, I'm currently a Music Education major in college. While that doesn't sound that work heavy, it actually is a lot of work and takes up quite a bit of my time as I have a lot of practicing to juggle with regular school work. Most nights I don't get home until some time after 7:00pm. This story for that reason is more of a hobby, I suppose. Nonetheless, I appreciate all the fans of it, despite the cliche. I wanted this chapter to be good for the wait (though I'm still not crazy over it) so I hope if nothing else the update made you smile. Thank you for sticking with me. Have a great rest of your week. I have two upcoming concerts… yay.<strong>


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